NBA Picks: Free NBA Predictions and Odds

It's a small slate tonight in the NBA, but I have found three games that I am adding to my NBA picks.

Thursday night has it's usual smaller slate of games, but some good NBA matchups still hold great value for us. Let's take a look at some of the better NBA odds and betting options for the night.

Golden State (19-25) at Houston (25-22)

I don't know if any of you caught Chris Mullin tribute night on video, the news, or live, but its a "must see" as it make's for some great entertainment. The fans are not to happy with Warriors owner Joe Lacob due to the trade (a salary cap move) that involved trading the Warriors leading scorer in Monta Ellis. As a matter of fact, Mr. Lacob's wife wouldn't talk to him for two days because she's best friends with Ellis's wife.

Needless to say the night was a disaster, with NBA legends Rick Barry and Chris Mullin interfering on behalf of the owner and reprimanding the fans for their poor behavior. Mr. Lacob took a beating and so have the Warriors since the trade.

Golden State is 1-4 in their last 5 games and their sole victory is their last game against the New Orleans Hornets.

The Warriors must now face a much more powerful team in the surging Houston Rockets. The Rockets are coming off of a victory against a strong Los Angeles Lakers team. Luis Scola led the way with 23 points and Goran Dragic had a productive overall game with 16 points and 13 rebounds. The Rockets are an offensively powered team, and one that is well rounded on the court. Guard Kevin Martin has totally lost his game, but the combination of Dragic and Courtney Lee have filled in admirably.

Look for Houston to to roll here.

Pick- Houston -7.5

Los Angeles Clippers (26-20) at New Orleans (11-35)

Chris Paul comes to Louisiana to face his old team a member of the Clippers. Paul has had a great season at 19.5 points, 8.5 assists, and 3.5 rebounds per game. He goes up against some legitimate competition in the form of Jarrett Jack, who has had a solid season in his own right and is coming off of a triple-double against Golden State.

Although New Orleans has some solid legitimate threats in Marco Belinelli, Chris Kaman, and Trevor Ariza, it hasn't amounted to wins on the court. The Hornets are just 4-20 at home this season. If you were looking for a fantasy team, the Hornets would be your team, if you're looking to add a play on this one to your NBA picks, take Blake Griffin, CP3 and the Los Angeles Clippers.

Pick- Los Angeles Clippers -3

Utah Jazz (24-22) at Sacramento Kings (17-29)

Both teams are coming off of huge wins in their previous outings. The Jazz knocked off the top team in the Western Conference in the Oklahoma City Thunder as Kevin Durant was just 6 of 22 shooting from the field, while the Kings defeated the combination of Rudy Gay and Marc Gasol of the Memphis Grizzlies with the spectacular play of Marcus Thornton (31 points, 7 assist, 6 rebounds) and DeMarcus Cousins (23 points) of the Kings.

The Kings are another team of great young stars that have played well individually. The major liability to this team is their defense, as they rank 30th in the league. If they win, it's going to be a high scoring affair.

Although the Jazz starting 5 came through big in their last game, the combination of Marcus Thornton and Isaiah Thomas has really started to gell and been super impressive.

In Thornton's last 3 games, he's averaging 30 points, 5.3 rebounds, 4.8 assists, and 4 steals per game. He'll be a difficult cover for either Devin Harris or Gordon Hayward.